Homeward Bound

It was time to start thinking about heading home but we had a few stops to make on our way. We planned to stop to visit good friends, Dave and Dominique, in Port Hope and we wanted to bring a special treat. First stop Shediac where lobster was in season. We picked up a few and had lobster rolls for lunch. As we were heading west friends Larry and Karen, were heading east for a fall visit to Newfoundland. We managed to meet up for a quick visit at a truck stop outside Frederickton. It was great to catch up. I hope their travels exceed their expectations. We stopped for the night at the Grand Falls Gorge Campground in Grand Falls NB. It was a beautiful spot with amazing views of the gorge. We had tried to stop here on the way out but it was fully booked. We made great time the the next day and stopped at Cooper Marsh Conservation Area just inside Ontario. Three provinces in one day. Its a beautiful conservation area with a great review on iOverlanding. After a nice walk through the marshlands and a view of the St Lawrence we noticed no overnight parking signs so we had to move on. It was the first time the information on iOverlanding wasn't accurate. We moved on to the aquatic center in Cornwall and found a good spot for the night. We tried one of the lobsters for dinner and it was so good. Messy but good. We took a walk along the waterfront before setting out the next morning. We will have to come back to this area at some point and do some exploring. Not the rugged beauty of the east coast but still very beautiful. We made a quick stop in Gananoque and found some fresh produce at a roadside stand. We arrived in Port Hope in the afternoon for a wonderful two day visit. It was so nice catching up with these great friends and the two days passed so quickly. On our way home we stopped and looked at 7 different new campervans. Some were on the mercedes chassis and some on the dodge. None of the floor plans or features appealed to us as much as our van so we decided we will stick with what works for us. We arrived home late Saturday afternoon. Our friend Lorraine from Vancouver Island was at the house to greet us. She was visiting her mom and was staying with us. Having her at the house meant no end of travel let down and we had a great visit. We loved our trip to Newfoundland, traveling in the van is a lot of fun and very comfortable. We were gone for 36 nights and only spent 10 nights in a campground. We spent 3 nights in community parks where a donation was requested, 2 nights with friends and one night on the ferry. The other nights were wild camping. Randy really enjoys the way the van handles and it was really comfortable to spend so much time in. Even those rainy days when we couldnt get out much we didn’t find it too small. There were a few places we turned around due to the condition of the roads but we were able to see what we wanted to and we camped in some incredibly beautiful spots. We could stop when we wanted and change plans as required. We met so many interesting people, both locals as well as fellow travelers. Fuel was our biggest expense ranging from a low of $1.43 on Manitoulin Island to a high of $2.16 in Newfoundland. Our first big trip in the van was a huge success.Read more